able. Should behavior not meet the expectations you've set, remind a
team member of the shared understanding you discussed during the
interview process.
Make sure to address performance concerns in private. Have you
been in a meeting where your boss blasted everyone and you sat
thinking, like Steve Urkel, "Did I do that?" Addressing the entire team
when your concerns are for 1 or 2 employees saps morale and nega-
tively impacts the entire team.
Address concerns without assigning blame. People don't seek to
intentionally make mistakes. But they happen. When someone would
come running to my office after an incident occurred, my first words
were, "Did anybody die? Did we operate on the wrong body part?" If
the answer to both was no, I assured them that we could work out
most everything else together. No one will be harder on the person
who made the error than the person who made the error. Creating an
environment free of blame lets people bring their concerns forward
without fear of reprisal.
Encourage collaboration, not competition, among team mem-
bers. I have the opportunity to see a lot of teams and observe
how they work. At one center, the administrator took a step back and
allowed her staff to shine. It brought a smile to my face to watch them
talk proudly about how they care for their patients, their quality initia-
tives, how they've made the center better and what's important to
them. They also were quick to talk about contributions from other
staff members. It was clear they worked well together and supported
each other. Everyone brings their own expertise to the table. Realize
that everyone does not have the same talents and put those with com-
plementary skills together in improvement projects.
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Staffing
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